


Envoyez Une Lettre Pour Mon Amour

by TeaLovingTooru



Series: The Traveler's Company [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha France (Hetalia), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Omega England (Hetalia), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-06 19:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12824130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaLovingTooru/pseuds/TeaLovingTooru
Summary: Thank you all for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!!Find me on Tumblr at: https://my-own-flowers.tumblr.com/I made a playlist for this fic, which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/user/12139091148/playlist/1iKxLvuOzY0baU78ivEauV?si=p7xoK2v5RgWebNjUYGfblQI hope to see you all again next time!!





	1. Places.

_In the travellers' company, who's to say what would get done?_

 

_That was a question that often circulated Arthur E. Kirkland's head as they crossed the lands. His baby brothers were rather... odd at times, often making him wonder if they were yet suited for the life they were searching for._

 

_Though he had supposed, that wasn't quite fair..._

 

_He was just as young and naive, though he knew how to hide what he'd feel._

 

_Alfred, however... Alfred was the youngest of the trio. He was free spirited, wanted nothing more than to run off on his own endless journey and help others less fortunate than himself. While Alfred had expressed to their father that he didn't fancy the idea of a mate on numerous occasions, Arthur knew the truth. He could read his younger brother like the back of his own hand, and so... he knew the looks. He recognized it at every party... the look he'd give towards couples as they danced and talked... he wanted it. He craved it. However... he would not allow himself to have it, for reasons Arthur didn't understand... perhaps it was true. Perhaps his brother truly wanted nothing more than to help those less fortunate before he focused on himself... how silly. Didn't he know how the hierarchy worked...? He'd be snuffed out... probably forced into matehood... not that Alfred even knew that sort of thing could even happen... that anyone would be so cruel... Alfred was the one he worried about the most..._

 

_Matthew was... he was softer. The middle child had been left a soft disposition, probably something he'd inherited from their mother. The man had been quiet, often in his own had with his love for the children. It was something admirable really, for someone so young and full of youth to sit quiet, watching three little boys run through the garden as he would knit or sew. It was where Arthur had picked up his own homemaking skills, being told that even if he were a noble, he would perhaps still be expected to pick up chores. And...after their mother died... he was responsible for teaching the other two. Naturally, Alfred had been resistant and Matthew had naturally picked it up as if he'd been doing it his whole life... and. He'd also picked up the mind that he was to marry and mate no matter what the cost and... he seemed happy to do it. Arthur couldn't help but wonder if it was from all of the storybooks and the 'Happily Ever After' printed at the bottoms..._

 

_How naive... it was rather sad, really... they'd never been taught, had never heard the atrocities of man. They simply believed that life was brighter... that you had a choice in your destiny... how wrong they were._

 

_Arthur had understood, had gotten used to the fact that he didn't have a choice. His future wasn't a choice. He was the eldest, not to mention an omega. It was his duty to marry well, set an example... but he did want love, he supposed. He understood what it felt like to want to be loved, it's just... it's nothing practical. Love isn't practical. Money and power, that is what's practical._

 

_It was hard enough on him now that his father had doubts that he would find a good husband, what being seventeen and all..._

 

_No one else his age that was omegan remained unmated._

 

_No other omega in the colony was unmated if they were so old and the reason for his being so may be even more heartbreaking..._

 

_The year Arthur was set to turn mating, his mother had fallen ill and he never quite recovered, only getting sicker and weaker until one day his eyes simply did not open._

 

_That year was dedicated to mourning his loss and offering prayer at the Church for a brighter New Year and prayers that his brothers be spared from the ailment. Thankfully, those had been answered, but... the New Year did not actually work out in favour for his future._

 

_With nobody else to teach the younger boys about homemaking skills, Arthur had to learn as much as he possibly could in as little time as possible... so he learned alongside them after teaching them the skills he had acquired. He felt hopeless in these times, often wanting to turn his head away and cry when he'd see Alfred smiling down at a cookbook or whenever he'd see Matthew knitting in his spare time. He felt aged, as though he were a mother himself, despite his young age._

 

_So by the time a year had passed, Arthur had prepared to just focus on preparing his brother's for their own mating traditions. He had found that he didn't think he was missing out on much... he'd raised two young omega's through their skills of homemaking and through true presentation with Matthew after their mother's death... he was far more grown up than he should have to be... so what would be the point...?_

 

_An Alpha wanted a young thing, in heart, body, and mind... so why would anybody want Arthur...?_

 

_He simply couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips, not minding etiquette one bit, because in the next moment or so... he would be on the mission to finding a husband..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it!! 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at: https://my-own-flowers.tumblr.com/
> 
> I made a playlist for this fic, which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/user/12139091148/playlist/1iKxLvuOzY0baU78ivEauV?si=p7xoK2v5RgWebNjUYGfblQ
> 
> I hope to see you all again next time!!


	2. Homage To The Crestfallen.

It was difficult to find a moment in which Arthur E. Kirkland was not feeling some sort of sombre. 

 

He had, in his overall defence, gone through a rather tragic set of events that had set for a stage of utmost worry and establishment for disappointment. 

 

So, he reasoned with himself and his inner voices, that it was not unlike himself to be standing off by himself in a desolate area of the ballroom, looking terribly crestfallen as he stared down at the floor before him.

 

He'd expected it... he really, truly had...

 

_Nobody wanted him..._

 

He was too old... or his hips were too slender for an Alpha's taste... or the Alpha themselves was too thickly perverted and ill for Arthur's taste...

 

And... while he tried so hard... he could do little to nothing to stop the crystalline tears from pooling at the crooks of his eyes. 

 

It was utterly shattering, being told you weren't what someone wanted. It was even more abhorrent when you'd already expected such a thing... in that... you knew you weren't what they wanted at heart... that... that crushed.

 

_By God... if it weren't for this bloody ridiculous outfit, I'd probably sink to the floor in a fit at this very moment..._

 

He didn't even have a handkerchief to blot the tears away... he'd given them all to Alfred, who'd gotten nervous and needed to dry the sweat off and he was not too keen on taking them back after that when they smelled so much like his brother's stress.

 

 _You know..._ he reasoned,  _if this were a fairytale... this'd be the part where the handsome Alpha swoops in and saves the struggling omega... why can't life be a fairytale...?_

 

The omega had the ridiculous urge to bury his face in his knees, willing the tears away because really:  _Arthur, you're causing a scene..._

 

It's not like he'd expected to find love... he had certainly not expected to be treated as though he were an equal... but... he had believed maybe... just maybe someone would look at him as though he weren't damaged goods...

 

Just as the first tear was shed, a group of young men bustled in from outside, seeming to have just arrived. 

 

Arthur, of course, was quick to blot at his tears lightly with his gloved fingers, hoping to hide any evidence of his improper behaviour.

 

However... the men were yelling at each other... in what seemed to be a different language... and the had yet to notice him...

 

"-leurs, je ne sais pas quand je trouverai un oméga à aimer et à appeler le mien. Ce n'est pas important pour vous, ce n'est pas votre affaire. Pour ne pas mentionner, nous sommes au milieu d'une guerre, attacher une maison maintenant ne serait pas sage!" A voice rang, thick and clear. Pas tout le monde peut trouver une beauté aussi facilement que possible, Ber~!"

 

While the group of men were yelling, it did not seem any sort of aggressive, rather than just some friendly banter.

 

However... Arthur had accidentally let out one of those small, tiny little sniffles one does when they get through crying and all eyes were on him.

 

"Oh...? Que pourrait-il y avoir de mal avec ce joli petit lapin ...?" The same voice from earlier had poured, sounding genuinely worried other than the tone of teasing the language he spoke seemed to naturally hold.

 

"Je ne sais pas. Peut-être demander au jeune homme." A tired voice called in response.

 

At this point... Arthur was starting to feel a touch annoyed...

 

He'd been rejected several times tonight and now he was being talked about by some foreigners and he didn't even know what they were saying.

 

And of course, being Arthur, he had to say something.

 

"It's rude to talk about someone like they aren't right there, just because they cannot understand you..." 

 

_God... even I can hear how whiny I sound..._

 

And finally... the man with the voice stepped forward.

 

"Mon amie, that was not the intention, I promise you." 

 

 _Heavens... he is rather attractive, isn't he...?_ He stopped.  _Not like you have a chance though..._

 

"M-My apologies, sir... tonight has been rather disappointing, to say the least..."

 

"Say... how would you like to accompany me? Perhaps we could get to know each other."

 

There was a look in the man's eye that Arthur couldn't quite distinguish, but... he found himself relentlessly attracted to it. 

 

"I-I... perhaps not. Y-You seem to be here with friends, sir! Why would you want to spend your time with someone like me?"

 

"To learn why you refer to yourself as 'someone like me', I suppose would be one thing." 

 

The seventeen-year-old could feel his flush radiating heat if he were being completely honest and he always were... 

 

"Besides. These boys," he pointed behind him, "are not friends. They are my subordinates! But we get on well enough, no?"

 

There were a few chuckles behind him before one person stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder. From the scent and appearance of the man, he could safely say the man was an omega and he heavily questioned what work the men all did during the day.

 

"Are you alright...? This idiot is a bit slow to ask you personally..."

 

"I-I... I'm alright... I was acting in an improper manner. I am sorry you all had to see me in this state. I shall take my leave. Pleasure to meet y-"

 

"Oh, hey-" 

 

And suddenly there was a hand loosely gripped around Arthur's wrist that was quick to fall back when he saw the look of shock that came upon the soft features. 

 

"I apologize, mon amie, I should not have-"

 

"Don't apologize, just-"

 

"You're-"

 

"I really-"

 

"Please stay-"

 

"You're the only person who hasn't completely disacknowledged me tonight and I am having a flight moment-"

 

"Wait, what?"

 

"I, uh..." 

 

_Oh. Very, very classy, Arthur. Just tell the handsome man all about your issues._

 

"Well. I am not sure why anybody would treat you wrong... you are gorgeous and have an... entrancing scent." He'd begun flicking his wrist lightly as if searching for the word.

 

A scoff from behind them. "Oui, oui, Francis. On dirait que ça va prendre longtemps avant de trouver un oméga, hmm?"

 

The man had glared for but a moment, watching as the rest of his party finally split away, leaving just the two of them to their own devices. 

 

"So... madame, will you join me?"

 

* * *

 

 

"I beg your pardon, sir?" He had nearly gawked.

 

"That's right." The fair blonde had laughed, "I am the ever so loved Commanding Officer of one of France's leading battalions!"

 

"You... Francis, are you keeping safe out there?"

 

The question seemed to catch the man off guard, but he bounced back rather quickly. 

 

"Of course! How could I let myself be injured before I even found my love, no?"

 

The response made Arthur want to slap himself. 

 

_What a silly man..._

 

The response also made him need to hide a blush behind a thin hand.

 

"But Arthur... does this mean you care about me?"

 

"W-What!?"

 

"I simply must say, I am a bit shocked to hear it. I know, I know... 'Francis, an attractive, well-adjusted man like you, surprised that an omega is swooning for your charm?' Why, yes, I must say I am. If you were to ask me why, I'd tell you that it's because in the whole time I've been beside this omega... he has not laughed once. Hardly pressed a smile!"

 

"F-Firstly! I cannot possibly care about someone I just met!"  _You, however, seem to be the exception to that._ "And secondly, perhaps I don't find that ridiculous outfit of yours funny enough to crack at!"

 

However, then... 

 

Then Arthur was pitched forward, tripping over the front of his own gown.

 

The ground was coming quick and the omega braced himself, cursing his occasional clumsy disposition. 

 

The ground never came though. 

 

What did come, however, was a pair of strong arms around his waist.

 

And so when Arthur opened his eyes to an uncharacteristically red Frenchman, he was a little spooked.

 

But so was the Frenchman.

 

Because... he'd begun to stumble back until he were in the pond, soaked from head to toe.

 

However, what had truly made this moment so, so funny was the bright green amphibian atop his head. 

 

That, dear acquaintances, is when Arthur began to laugh.

 

It was nothing soft, nor delicate... nothing that could ever be described as 'beautiful', even through a false compliment, because honestly... it almost sounded as if he were crying when he fully laughed. 

 

"Wow..."

 

"Ahahaha! F-F-F!" The emerald-eyed boy couldn't seem to stop stuttering out the simple letter, but he seemed desperate to speak. "F-French Frog! Francis, the French Frog!"

 

Now... had the Alpha not known the omega as well as he had come to in these past hours, he may have found the term offensive, but rather than that, he found it... charming.

 

The other's head was tipped back, throat bared in a column of pasty white that Francis could hope to one day claim. The sound though... 

 

_It was like a symphony._

 

Now... maybe not a very good one, but... it was so perfect, in his eyes.

 

He wondered if the other men Arthur had talked with tonight had had the chance to hear it... 

 

_I wonder if that's why they ignored him._

 

He ignored the terrible thought in his mind, knowing it was just due to his typical response system towards his other shipmates.

 

He did, however, take in the bitter feeling he'd gotten at the thought of Arthur talking to someone else...

 

Because as to how it is right now... Francis had a strange desire to get to know him better...

 

And let no one else get so close.

 

* * *

 

 

After they ran around for a bit, avoiding the eyes of the ever so lovely hosts and Francis trying  _not_ to get Arthur wet, the two were quietly sat in a small linen area, Francis toweling at his locks.

 

"Say..."

 

"Hmm?" The Englishman turned to look at him, nearly huffing when he saw how lazily the man was working with his hair. He'd taken the towel between his fingers, running his hands and the soft fabric carefully over the man's scalp and worked on the pale blonde locks left to his nimble fingers.

 

"Why did you say that the others were ignoring you, Arthur...?"

 

"Ah..." A look of anxiety flashed over the graceful features before something more decided and dignified followed. "I'm, um... I'm older than most omega's looking for a husband."

 

"Oh...?" Francis clicked, turning his face upwards to stare at the omega drying his hair. "How old are you?"

 

"I'm... seventeen..."

  
"What? And that's considered old here...? Mon dieu..."

 

"Is... is it different where you are from...?"

 

"In France, we aren't legally allowed to marry and mate until both parties are 18." He laughed quietly, dropping his head once more. "This is a bit sad..."

 

"How old are you, Francis...?"

 

"I'm twenty-three."

 

"O-Oh..."

 

And for some reason... Arthur found himself flushed. There was no reason to. He'd talked to men almost triple the Alpha's age that night, but... there was something about the fact that he just... hadn't found someone, but... he still talked with Arthur... in some sort of fashion like he was interested in that with him...

 

"Arthur."

 

"Y-Yes...?"

 

"If I said I wanted to court you and eventually take your hand... would you be willing to wait for that...? Until you were eighteen...?"

 

The omega was absolutely flushed, topped down with a bright crimson tint that spoke volumes. 

 

"I-I would be more than willing, I assure..."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yOYOYOYO, I CAN DO NOTHING MORE THAN TO THANK MY DEAR, DEAR AMETHYST FOR HELPING ME WITH SOME IDEAS FOR THIS ONE!! I HOPE IT TURNED OUT AND THAT YOU ALL ENJOYED!! <3


	3. Days In The Sun.

Arthur couldn't count on his fingers and toes combined the number of days it'd been since he'd seen his Francis.

 

_His Francis..._

 

Perhaps it was silly or odd for him to refer to the man as such before they'd even begun to court, but... it would be so, so soon. He could feel it within his grasp.

 

In the past week, the omega had finally turned eighteen, which meant he was, in fact, proper age for Francis now.

 

And although it had nearly been a year, the Alpha had kept his promise. 

 

He had kept Arthur's mind and heart in his head, holding tight for the one he'd left behind after that fateful night at the Hedervary's. 

 

He was reading, while he was told. 

 

Told... is a... loose term.

 

More like Alfred and Matthew rustled their ways into the room, Gilbert a short distance behind, cackling at something he did not yet know.

 

"Boys... what is the matter...?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

 

"There is a very attractive man in the parlour calling for you, Arthur!" Alfred screamed, nearly falling into a fit of laughter as Matthew bit back giggles and batted his brothers' arm before addressing the eldest.

 

"Arthur, it's that Francis you're always talking about, right?" The typically quiet boy almost squealed, thrown into a fit of utmost joy at the thought of the situation. By now, Arthur's face was a deep crimson and he was upset with Ivan for not keeping Alfred on a tighter leash and upset with Gilbert for influencing his little brother into being just as immodest as Alfred.

 

"Will you two stop yelling and tell me what in the bloody hell is going on!?" He shouted in a whisper, ushering the three into the room he were sitting in to get all of the details.

 

"All I know is that while I was heading to the garden to get Ivan, I ran into the scrawny kid who-"

 

"Father's assistant...?"

 

"Yes! That! God, I can never remember his name-"

 

"Alfred, focus!"

 

"Oh, right! Sorry! So, he had been talking to one of the maids and said to prepare another set of tea in preparation, because someone requested audience with father at noon, but then said it was that-"

 

"That the visitor would like to discuss with you first! Alfred got caught and they asked him to come and get you, but he ran into us on the way!"

 

Arthur was silent.

 

"Arthur...? Are you alright...?" Matthew had asked, tugging on the stray pieces of hair around his face before looking back at his older brother, who seemed frozen in place.

 

"I... oh, God... I'm going to be courted..."

 

Now... with the wording and structuring of that sentence, one may expect him to be nervous or wearing a grimace...

 

No.

 

Arthur E. Kirkland is wearing a ridiculously bright smile in this moment.

 

"Oh, Arthur..."

 

The omega had shot out of his chair, not minding if he looked vain to his brother's and in-law as he re-tied his hair, making sure it was comfortably loose in the green ribbon, but not so much that he looked like he were not tidy.

 

"Goodness, he sure is excited, huh, Birdie?" His brother's Alpha chuckled, having never seen Arthur in such an elated, yet frantic state.

 

"He is..." A fond smile appeared on the other's face as he walked towards Arthur, taking his hands in his own and smiling. "I know you don't need it, but I wish you luck... this Alpha of yours must be quite the something if he can make you act like this. It's refreshing."

 

"You look happy, Art..." Alfred smiled, giving the older of the two a hug before kissing him on the cheek. "Now, hurry! Go! He may leave before you ever stop checking yourself out!"

 

"I-I'm not checking myself out, you twit! I'm trying to make sure I look presentable!"

 

"Aww, you want to look nice for Alphaaaa~!" Alfred smirked.

 

"For who?" A voice cut through the room, alerting everyone to Ivan and suddenly, Arthur was the one smirking.

 

"Have a grand time explaining that one, darling."  

 

And then Arthur was out the door, making his way quick through the corridors towards the parlour to see his Francis once again. 

 

If he were being honest, he wanted nothing more than to jump into the Frenchmans' arms and kiss him all over the face, but that would be rather improper.

 

_It would be, wouldn't it...?_

 

He clicked his tongue, but slowed his pace when he realized that just beyond this corner were the parlour doors.

 

_Be calm, Arthur... it's what you've been waiting for... you've got this..._

 

_"If I said I wanted to court you and eventually take your hand... would you be willing to wait for that...?"_

 

Arthur had waited... he'd waited a near year, convincing his father that the man he'd come to meet was worth the time he'd be investing by doing this. And now he was eighteen. He could court and marry Francis, if the other asked him... it was something he was blessed to know and a thought he was absolutely in love with.

 

So with a calm breath and a waiting heartbeat, he opened the parlour doors.

 

Now... he was not quite sure what he had expected to find inside but... the very sight and scent took his breath away.

 

There was Francis, dressed in a light blue overcoat and white riders, a golden vest with a dark, navy sash crossed around the chest. His scent permeated the air thickly, smelling of the ocean and slightly like honey mead on Autumn nights...

 

He didn't quite understand the obscure scent, exactly, but he'd heard things like that... 

 

_That when you find a good potential mate, it's likely their scent will smell... like something you've never smelled before, but you can describe it with ease._

 

_What a romantic thought..._

 

"Arthur..." A soft voice rang, a smile accompanying it as Arthur returned the favour.

 

"Hello again, Francis..."

 

"You look... radiant, mon cher..."

 

At this, the omega flushed, looking down at his shoes, flicking a piece of hair behind his ear.

 

"T-Thank you... you look well..."

 

"I am even better now that I am here with you." 

 

"I-" He cut off, looking down once more when he realized he had no more options of wording.

 

"Will you accompany me on a walk, Arthur...?"

 

"Of course!"

 

Francis didn't hide his chuckle at the sudden excitement.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

With slow steps, the two walked through the meadow, enjoying each other's presence and the beautiful Spring weather.

  
  
"Say, Francis...?"

  
"Yes, mon cher...?"

  
  
The omega tilted his face down, pretending not to blush at the name and hiding what was absolutely not a smile. "When you go away again... how will... h-how will I know you're alright...?"

  
  
"Arthur... nothing will happen to me. I have something to live for. I won't let my life slip through my fingers so carelessly."

  
  
With these words, he'd grabbed the hands of the emerald-eyed noble, giving an affectionate gaze that Arthur wishes he could return... but, alas, the thought plagued him...

 

"Francis... you and I both know that life isn't always a choice... it can get taken away at any moment... so I-I... I'd like to rest easy, I suppose..."

  
  
"Arthur, if you are trying to ask to join me, you can't, I won't al-"

  
  
"I wouldn't ask. But... I rather ask if we could perhaps send letters...? I-If it were not too much trouble! Maybe just to... set my mind at ease...?" The omega chanced a glimpse at the Alpha he'd come to love so dearly. "O-Of course, if it's too much to ask, or you believe it's ridiculous, I-"

 

It was within that moment that Francis stopped his steps, staring at the omega with wide eyes before they slipped down into something full of adoration and something he could only describe as helplessness.

 

  
"Nothing you could ask me for would ever be ridiculous. I am quite aware that if you asked, it is because something is truly bothering your mind... besides... letters are romantic, no...?"

 

He had simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he admired the look on the man's face.

 

"Why, um... why, may I ask, have you come to our home...?"

 

"Arthur. Don't be silly. You know you've been counting down the days until I'd come and ask for your hand. If you haven't, I must say, I am somewhat offended, as I sure have been."

 

There was a vibrant smile on his lips that made Arthur's stomach tingle with butterflies as he hid his gaze.

 

"I-Is... is today truly the day...?"

 

"Well... I was hoping to ask for your father's blessing and then ask you to court... if you wouldn't mind waiting some more time..." The Frenchman had raised an eyebrow, hiding a grin as carefully as possible.

 

Arthur, however... he could not stop himself from groaning, caring nothing for etiquette as he thought of waiting even longer to be called Francis' wife.

 

"Francis..." He whined. "That's cruel."

 

"Oh? What is?" He snickered.

 

The omega gasped, realizing the Alpha had been teasing him and he didn't stop himself from giving the Aryan a light slap on the arm. 

 

"You were teasing me!" He scoffed. "Besides... even if you weren't! You should know by now that I won't want to wait any longer, Francis!"

 

"You are rather adorable when angry, did you know?"

 

"Y-You can stop with all of that nonsense!"

 

"Did you just... call it nonsense...?" He burst with laughter.

 

"S-Stop laughing at me!"

 

"Comme c'est mignon!"

 

"YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"

 

"Oh mon die-"

 

"He called you cute, darling son."

 

"P-Papa!"

 

"Papa...? Your- Oh!" Francis straightened, immediately wiping the grin off of his face and giving a bow to the woman standing in front of him. "It is a pleasure, ma'am."

 

"I'm sure." There was a smile etched onto her face as her arm tucked into her sons, but... it didn't quite look so friendly. "Tell me, sir... you are interested in my son?"

 

"Yes, of course!"

 

"Then shouldn't you follow tradition and ask for a blessing? Or, am I mistaken, sir? Rather than discussing it with him before I, the one who may give him away?"

 

"Well, I, um..." He looked panicked towards Arthur, though the omega just nodded encouragingly at him. He took a deep breath. "With all due respect, miss. I wish to show your son the same level of respect I show everyone else. I wish to give him a choice in his life. So... if today, he'd told me he no longer wished to live his life with me, I would take my leave and not bother him if it seemed it were true to his best certainty."

 

"And if it didn't seem so...?"

 

"Then I would pray and hope it were a joke of some kind of sort as I have become quite enamoured with him in the past year. And if it were not... I would respect it. Though, I cannot say I wouldn't wish for something different."

 

"Hmm. I see." She turned to her son. "Arthur, darling..."

 

"Y-Yes, papa?" 

 

"Do you wish to marry this man...?"

 

"I do..."

 

"Then you have my blessing."

 

"Really!?" Francis exclaimed.

 

"Sir, please, do not sound so surprised. You just proved to me that you would make a wise, loving husband for my oldest child. Unless there is something I do not yet know about that I should...?" Francis shook his head. "Besides. It'd be terrible of me to deny one of my babies, but neither of the others. I am an old politician, Sir Bonnefoi, though I am not yet so senile to want my children to be as unhappy as I. All I ask is I live to see grandchildren." 

 

At this, Arthur began to blush, hiding his face behind a gloved hand, before his father reminded him of being proper. 

 

"Is there need for etiquette now...?" He grumbled. "Francis will be my husband... he'll see me acting worse..."

 

"Perhaps, but you two aren't married yet."

 

And, well... Francis couldn't wait to be, even if it were not yet the case.

 


	4. Top To Bottom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'll be honest... I was definitely watching Gremlins while writing this. So. If it's shit, I'm sorry, but I was pleasantly distracted. It's four days from Christmas and I gotta kick into that mojo, because if I am being honest, it really doesn't feel like Christmas to me.
> 
> However!! On a more exciting note!! I am finally on holiday!! I got a one hundred on all of my exams and I am just- exhausted. Came home from my last two last night and immediately passed out into my bedsheets, because I was just mentally fried. XD
> 
> Anyways, this means that I will be able to write a bit more and update more often if I have the time! I hope to get up another chapter before Monday, but it all depends on how busy my weekend is!! Unfortunately, this is all depending on things like family and friends and weather. (I know, like. Weather. How does that affect me? I live in the mountains and if the power goes out, I am fucked, lol.)

In the days that had past since their engagement, Francis had become a resident of the estate, much like Gilbert and Ivan.

 

Another customary tradition: Alpha's stay with the omega's family while courting and planning the wedding, as omega's rarely visit their childhood home after they wed. 

 

While Francis knew this was due to Alpha's preferring the wife stay home and take care of the house and children, he couldn't imagine thinking the same in regards to Arthur.

 

Due to his work, he would often be away and he wouldn't want Arthur home alone with whatever pups they may have for so long. It would put him through so much stress, the isolation. Now, he'd also reasoned with the more Alpha part of himself that the omega wouldn't be alone completely. He'd be surrounded by the housemaids and the cooks and things, not to mention whoever was coming in and out of the house to take care of Francis' finances while he were away. 

 

Yet... that only discomforted him more. Arthur would be left in a house full of strangers while he were away and even if Francis knew them all, the omega tended to get both a bit shy and extremely stir crazy, he'd learned. 

 

He figured it was something he should discuss with Arthur himself, though he knew the man would say he'd be alright all alone at home, that he'd been raised to do it...

 

And perhaps that were true. 

 

But they were in the middle of a war and Arthur would be in a whole new country...

 

"Francis, dear, what's got you so worried? If you're not careful, you'll break the handle off of the cup..." The voice of his beloved rang through the air, alerting him to his fingers, which were tightly gripping onto the handle of a teacup. 

 

 "Oui, sorry... I am afraid I am just thinking of what we will do after we marry. It's all... rather alarming." He smiled, softly tugging on the omega's index and middle finger to show that he was in fact alright.

 

"Are you worried about it...? Marrying me?" The omega's eyes held a storm, a fear Francis had not witnessed before but now seemed very obvious, very real.

 

"Oh, no, mon cher. Never you. I am simply worried about leaving you behind in France for so long while I am away."

 

"Oh? What are you worried about, Francis...? I am perfectly capable of tending to the house... do you find me unprepared, or- I mean-" 

 

"Non bien sûr que non!" He hastened to answer, not realizing he'd done so in French before he'd seen shock on his courtmate's face. "My apologies, chéri... when I get flustered, I tend to shoot off in French..."

 

"No need to apologize..." He spoke softly, head downturn as he seemed to submit.

 

"Arthur... I did not intend to imply I find you unfit to take care of the estate. I know you have the ability, you have sheltered years of practice to being the best you could be at declaring the home for your husband, a fact I am proud of and even more honoured to be that husband." He sighed, pulling on the omega's fingers once more, knowing it soothed the other man when he were upset or nervous. "Mon amour, I simply mean that I do not like the idea of abandoning you at home while I disappear into battle for months, occasionally even a year at a time..."

 

"Francis-"

 

"Arthur, you are to be my wife. I am afraid that even if you tell me you don't mind the loneliness, my worry will not be cured." He sighed, raking a hand over the top of his head, effectively making small pieces of hair become dislodged. This made the omega stand from his seat, going to stand behind Francis and lightly rub his shoulders, before pulling the ribbon, examining his face with a lean.

 

"It may not be cured, but... how do you suppose we would fix it?"

 

"They often say the Alpha boards with an omega's family while courting, due to the rarity of the omega's trips back to their childhood home...?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Well... how about staying here while I am away?"

 

"Francis, you absolute jack, do not even think about it." The omega scolded, lightly swatting him on the top of the head. "My father may think you cruel, leaving me alone and then forcing me to board a ship to the mainland. Don't be odd." 

 

"I'm not being 'odd'! I just... I don't like the thought of you being alone, Arthur. It worries me..."

 

"Well now, I won't always be alone, will I...?"

 

"Arthur, housemaids and my accountants are not proper company-"

 

"That's not what I mean, love." He sighed, pulling the rest of his courtmate's hair back and gently tying it back with the pale blue ribbon. "Someday... well, I am sure that someday, I will have children to look after, yes...? And that will keep me plenty busy, the little ones will probably keep me running around the lot with their energy. And until then, I can just help out the other housekeepers and things. Honestly, Francis, I won't be able to let them in the bedroom. That is our place and I will keep it as such. I will clean it myself, top to bottom."

 

"Arthur..." He couldn't help but smile. "You always know what to say, don't you...?"

  
"Only because I've gotten to know you, darling."

 

"For which I am thankful."

 

"Me as well..."

 

The two looked in each others eyes for a moment, Francis carefully guiding the omega back around to his side of the chair, before asking him to sit beside him carefully.

 

Arthur smiled and complied, sitting down next to Francis and apologizing when he realized that his dress was still covering over the Alpha's lap a touch. The omega reached, with nimble and fragile fingers, to move the thick fabrics, only to find his hand grasped in that of his suiter. 

 

"Francis...?"

 

"I don't mind it there, mon amour."

 

The emerald-eyed boy flushed.

 

"Are you sure...?"

 

"Yes, I am sure."

 

The two sat in silence for a while, Arthur eventually picking up a book he'd been reading and skimming the pages with quick eyes that almost made Francis wonder if the omega were actually reading the literature.

 

However... he was more wondering how he had been so blessed in his life to have found someone so beautiful.

 

Arthur was a picture to look upon. He was slender and pale, giving off a sense of elegant grace with every step, every movement of his soft, delicate features. He had thin, long fingers that flipped pages quickly and would occasionally rush through stray pieces of hair that he couldn't move just from blowing.

 

The young man had a refined air around him, when around his father, straightening his back, doing the same at parties, as well... however... with Francis... he seemed to relax.

 

It hadn't been too long since they'd become officially courting, but... Arthur had begun to reveal himself to the Alpha and he found it so endearing.

 

"Arthur...?"

 

"Yes?" 

 

"Would you be upset if I were to kiss you right now...?"

 

"I-I believe you said o-overjoyed wrong..." The omega flushed, keeping his eyes on the page, but his eyes had stopped skimming and Francis could see him staring from his peripheral. 

 

"Did I...? How odd..."

 

"O-Odd indeed. Maybe it's the l-language barrier..." He had finally lifted his head, but only with the guidance of Francis' finger beneath his chin.

 

"Arthur. I am going to kiss you now."

 

"O-Ok..."

 

And honestly...

 

The Alpha had intended to.

 

But the omega's eyes were too sweet, too soft... his cheeks to rosy and round... his lips too fresh and pink...

 

He was too pure.

 

And so... Francis kissed him on the forehead.

 

"Francis... I feel rather cheated, right now."

 

"You know, I do as well, but you really are too cute-"

 

"So on our wedding night, will you give me a kiss on the cheek because I am 'too cute' or-" he cut off, suddenly embarrassed when he realized he had expressed what he believed was definitely traditional in all marriages, but was a rather private and unspoken discussion. "M-My apologies, sir..."

 

"Please, do not call me sir when you think you've done wrong, mon cher." He kissed his forehead again. "You have done nothing to be sorry of. I, myself, would like nothing but to kiss you from head to toe, if I may, but I believe perhaps we should stay to simple affections until the wedding..."

 

"F-Francis..." He mumbled, quickly hiding his face behind his hands.

 

"Do not hide, darling. I never want to waste a moment not seeing your face, if I had the opportunity."

 

"Y-You're making it worse..."

 

"I know, amoureux. I know." He kissed his forehead again, chuckling when he heard a squeak from the omega. 

 

_ Yes... he truly had been _ blessed.

 


End file.
